With about 4 months to the December 7 general elections, the race to win the hearts and votes of the electorate by presidential and parliamentary candidates is getting intense. In a bid to secure the support of young voters, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has launched its youth manifesto, aimed at addressing the challenges of the youth.
The manifesto draws on significant elements from its 2020 counterpart, “The People’s Manifesto” which highlights the party’s ongoing commitment to addressing youth-related issues such as education reform, youth employment, infrastructure development and economy restructuring.
Education
In the 2020 People’s Manifesto, the NDC promised to review and improve the Free Senior High School (SHS) program. A key focus was on addressing infrastructural deficits and the controversial double-track system. The manifesto stated, ‘‘The next NDC government will expand the Free SHS programme to cover students in private Senior High Schools in underserved/deprived areas, abolish the double-track system, complete abandoned structures for secondary and technical education including abandoned E-Blocks to cater for current students and expected increase in admissions, make the Free Senior High School Programme better by ensuring that its numerous challenges are addressed, and higher standards introduced’’.
In the 2024 Youth manifesto, this commitment is reinforced, with specific measures proposed to enhance the quality of education. John Mahama, during the manifesto launch, stated, “We shall decentralize the procurement of food and other supplies to the headmaster’s school basis… We shall expand access by building more infrastructure in existing secondary schools and dedicate funding to completing the E-blocks.”
Support for Tertiary Students
The 2020 manifesto highlighted the party’s intention to ease the financial burden on tertiary students. It included promises to “restructure the Students Loan Trust Fund to offer interest-free loans and reduce the bureaucratic bottlenecks that students face.”
The 2024 manifesto affirms this support with new initiatives like the ‘No Fee Stress Initiative,’ which aims to offer fee-payment assistance through the Student Loan Trust Fund (SLTF). Mahama emphasized, “My government will partner with the private sector to demarcate a portion of the vast tracts of land that the universities are holding to construct hostels for students on campus at reasonable rates.
Youth Employment and Job Creation
The People’s Manifesto also laid out plans in 2020, to create jobs for the youth through initiatives like the National Apprenticeship Program and youth entrepreneurship support. The manifesto stated, “We will establish a National Apprenticeship Program that will equip the youth with the necessary skills for self-employment.”
The focus on job creation continues in the 2024 Youth Manifesto again, reaffirmed the party’s resolve to empowering the youth by introducing initiatives aimed at creating employment opportunities for the youth with promises of continuous recruitment of teachers and nurses, particularly in underserved areas, upscaling digital skills and training for the youth as well as training 1 million youth in coding.
Teacher and Nurse Recruitment
The 2020 manifesto addressed the recruitment of teachers and nurses, focusing on filling gaps in underserved areas and improving conditions for educators and healthcare workers. The manifesto stated, “We will ensure that all qualified teachers and nurses are recruited without delay and posted to areas that need them the most.”
This is expanded in the 2024 youth manifesto with promises to abolish the Teacher Licensure Examination and integrate teacher licensing into the final year of education in colleges. During the launch, Mahama announced cancelation of the teacher licensure exam, making it a part of the final year program in the collage of education should he win the elections
“We will make teacher licensing a part of the final year program in the college of education. The John and Jane administration will implement strategies to address teacher accommodation challenges in rural areas” he noted.
